Golf driving aid

ABSTRACT

A WRISTBAND MOUNTABLE ON A GOLFER&#39;&#39;S WRIST HAS AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION ON WHICH IS A POCKET HAVING A FLAP WITH THE POCKET CONTAINING A REMOVABLE AND INTERCHANGEABLE WEIGHT. A STRAP INTEGRAL WITH ONE END OF THE BODY PORTION EXTENDS THROUGH A SLOT IN THE BODY PORTION AROUND THE BODY PORTION. THE STRAP OVERLAYS THE POCKET TO ASSIST IN HOLDING IT CLOSED. THE FREE END OF THE STRAP IS ENGAGED WITH A BUCKLE AT THE OTHER END OF THE BODY PORTION. THE WRISTBAND WHICH HAS A ROUGH OR SUEDE UNDERSIDE IS ADJUSTABLE LONGITUDINALLY AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ON THE GOLFER&#39;&#39;S WRIST AND IS HELD IN PLACE FRIC-   TIONALLY WHEN THE STRAP IS TIGHTENED. THE ADDED WEIGHT CONTAINED IN THE POCKET EFFECTIVELY APPLIES INCREASED KINETIC POWER TO THE SWING OF A GOLFER WITHOUT UNBALANCING THE HANDS HOLDING THE CLUB.

United States Patent [72] lnventor John J. Donohoe 136 Bayview Ave.. Amityville. SLY. 11701 :1 Appl. No. 865,657 [22] Filed Oct. 13, I969 [45] Patented June 28,1971 [73] \ignee Long island \lachiner Sales Corporation. Lindcnhurst.

[54] GOLF DRIVING AID 9 Claims. 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 273/3211, 273/548 272/80 [51] Int. Cl .\63b 71 00 [50] Field olSearch 2/159.160; 273/189, 54 (B), 32. 35, 162. 26; 272/80 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 786,006 3/1905 Cooper 2/160 2,187,987 1/1940 Sherrick 273/54(B)UX 2,709,257 5/1955 McKinney .v 273/54(B)UX 2 794 638 6/1957 Risheretal 273/54(Bj.

2.83:1,196 4/1958 Scheiber r .1 273/54(B)UX 3.124.806 3/1964 Campbell et a1 273/54(B)UX Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney-Edward l-l. Loveman ABSTRACT: A wristband mountable on a golfer's wrist has an elongated body portion on which is a pocket having a flap with the pocket containing a removable and interchangeable weight. A strap integral with one end of the body portion extends through a slot in the body portion around the body portion. The strap overlays the pocket to assist in holding it closed. The free end of the strap is engaged with a buckle at the other end of the body portion. The wristband which has a rough or suede underside is adjustable longitudinally and circumferentially 0n the golfers wrist and is held in place frictionally when the strap is tightened. The added weight contained in the pocket effectively applies increased kinetic power to the swing of a golfer without unbalancing the hands holding the club.

PATENTEU JUH28 I9?! INVENTOR IO/ 52 JOHN J. DONOHOE ATTORNEY GOLF nnrvnvo Alli) This invention concerns a device applicable to the wrist of a golf player for assistance in mechanically directing the swing.

It has been found that the left-hand of a right-handed golf player is most important in directing the swing. In execution of the correct golf swing, the left-hand should at the moment of impact of the club with the ball occupy the position that the hands assumed at the address: that is with the left-hand in a nearly vertical position. At the point of impact of the club with the ball, the hands should be in the same relative position. During the swing the left wrist should lead the left-hand.

It has been proposed heretofore that a device containing a weight or weights be applied to the left-hand for the double purpose of directing the swing and of adding to the kinetic energy of the club. One such device comprises a fingerless glove which contains a weight within a pocket on the back of the glove. The weight is located near the lower edge of the back of the left-hand between wrist and knuckles. This arrangement is said to cause the hand to return to the desired vertical position and to tend to pull the left-hand by centrifugal force to that position. This prior device has not been found satisfactory because it unbalances the hand and causes an unnatural rotational pull thereon. Recognizing this deficiency, another prior device provided a golfers glove with closed fingers. A single wide weight or a plurality of weights are disposed in a pocket at the back of the glove to abut the dorsum of the players hand between the wrist and knuckles. While this arrangement provides better balance of the lefthand in the plane'of swing, it still tends to rotate the hand outwardly, creating an unnatural rotational force in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the hand moves. This effect arises because during the swing the left wrist must lead the overweighted hand for proper driving action. In another embodiment, of this device, it was proposed a wide, arcuate slug be mounted by straps on the back of the left-hand with the straps extending across the palm. Such an arrangement of straps interferes with the grip on the club and the interference is aggravated bythe straps slipping, which is almost always unavoidable. What all the prior golf driving aid devices have failed heretofore to provide is a means to mount a weight or weights properly on the wrist and off the hand of the golf player. A further deficiency of the prior devices mentioned is the enclosure of weights in snap-fastened pockets which can easily snap open during the strain of use so that the weights fall out of the pockets. Another objection is lack of adjustability to different hand sizes.

The present invention is directed at overcoming the above and other deficiencies of prior golf swing aiding devices by providing a wristband with a pocket on the back containing a weight. The wristband engages on the wrist off the hand of the golf player. There the added weight contained in the pocket is most effectively applied to increase kinetic power in the swing without unbalancing the hands holding the club as occurs with the prior devices such as hereinabove described. The present device has an extra long strap which encircles the entire wristband the weight-containing pocket has a flap and a fastening device to hold this pocket closed. The long strap extends through slots in the wristband and is held in place by a buckle. By this arrangement, the wristband is adaptable to different hand sizes, as contrasted with the weighted gloves of the prior art which accommodate only one hand size. Also, the wristband can contain weights of smaller or larger sizes or one or more weights as may be required in particular circumstances. The wristband may be mounted on the right hand of a left-handed player. The device may be made of leather, plastic or other suitable tough, flexible material.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a Golf Driving Aid for attachment to a player's wrist.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf driving aid having a wristband with a pocket for different weights which may easily be changed as required.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf driving aid having a wristband which may accommodate to different hand sizes.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the instant invention shown attached to the left-hand of a golf player, both hands being shown grasping a club;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an oblique plan view of the wristband in an opened position prior to mounting on the hand of the golf player, part of the weight-containing pocket being shown broken away;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wristband shown at an initial stage in the closing procedure;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the wristband shown at an intermediate stage in the closing procedure;

FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5, but taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing the wristband in fully closed position;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the wristband shown in closed position, taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures thereof, there is shown in FIG. 3 a wristband 10 which preferably has an overall length of about 18 inches. The wristband has a wide body portion 12 long enough to substantially encircle a golfers wrist and is formed with tapered end portions 14 and 16. The tapered end 16 of body portion 12 is integral with a narrow strap 18 which is slightly longer than body portion 12 and terminates in a tapered free end 20. One of a plurality of holes 22 in the strap 18 is adapted to engage a tongue 24 of buckle 25 which is held on a looped end 26 of the taper end 14 by a rivet 29. On the outer side 27 of body portion 12 and centered thereon is a rectangular pocket 28 secured by edge stitching 31. The pocket is open at end 30; A flap 32 is secured to the body portion 12 by stitching 33 and extends outwardly of the open end of the pocket as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8. A snap fastener member 34 on flap 32 engages detachably with mating snap fastener member 36 on pocket 28. A massive weight 38 which may be a rectangular lead slab as most clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is removably inserted in the pocket 28. Alternatively, smaller weights 38a or heavy metal balls 38b shown in FIG. 4 may be inserted in the pocket 28 in place of, or in addition to, weight 38. Two slots 40 and 42 are cut in the tapered end portion 14 of the wristband. Slot 40 closer to end 26 is shorter and slot 42 closer to pocket 28 is longer. The slots extend transversely of body portion 12 to receive an end portion of strap 18 as will be explained below. The slot 40 which is closer to the end 26 is shorter in length than the slot 42 which is closer to pocket 28.

FIG. 3 shows the wristband in flat, open position. To engage and close the wristband on the wrist 50 of the golf player, the body portion 12 is placed on the wrist. The strap 18 is then turned under and threaded through a slot 42, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4, and pulled tightly over the closed pocket 23 containing the weight 38 (FIG. 5 shows strap 18 extending outwardly after covering the pocket 28). The strap 18 is then inserted into buckle 25 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. Finally, the free end 20 of the strap 18 is threaded through slots 40 and 42 in turn (FIGS. 6 and 7). By this arrangement, strap 18 completely encircles body portion 12 and overlays flap 32 to help the snap fastener members 34, 36 in keeping the pocket closed.

It will be noted that the wristband 10 may be adjusted to engage on wrists of different sizes. It may be adjusted longitudinally of the wrist and circumferentially of the wrist for most effective placement of the weight. Once the wristband is tightened it will remain in place. The rough or suede side 52 of the wristband frictionally engages the wrist 50 of the player (FIG. I) to hold the wristband in place. The wristband is located just beyond the joint 60 between wrist 50 and hand 62 as clearly shown in FIG. i. Therefore, with the hands 62 and 64 grasping a club 66 as it is swung, the leading wrist 50 is so weighted that it centrifugally pulls the club around in its plane of motion to increase the kinetic energy of the swing. This increased energy is expended at impact on the golf ball (not shown) in an increased force over which would occur without the wristband.

The wristband has the further beneficial and desirable effect of acting as support for the muscles and veins of the wrist when they are under stress. Moreover, the wristband of the instant invention may be used on the right hand or left hand of the player whereas weighted gloves heretofore proposed in the prior art could only be used on one hand, either right or left, and could fit on only one size of hand. The present wristband by contrast can fit on either wrist and on wrists of different sizes. Furthermore, it is adjustable longitudinally and circumferentially of the wrist, which was not heretofore possible with prior weighted golf gloves.

The device can be used exclusively for training purposes, or if contest or playing rules permit, may be used during normal play. Furthermore, the one-piece construction of the body and strap of the wristband enables the device to be manufactured much more economically than the multiple-sectioned weighted golf gloves heretofore known.

It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A device for aiding a golf player swing a golf club comprising:

a wristband engageable on a leading wrist of said golf player and spaced from the player's hand, said wristband having an elongated body portion sufficiently long enough to substantially extend circumferentially once around the golf player's wrist;

a strap integral with one end of said body portion, said strap being at least as long as said body portion to extend circumferentially around said body portion;

a pocket on said body portion;

a removable and interchangeable rigid weight means, for placement into said pocket and affecting an increase in the kinetic energy of the swing; and

securing means at the other end of said body portion for engaging the free end of the strap tightly around said body portion and over said pocket.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises a buckle and tongue, said strap having a plurality of holes therein for selective engagement by said tongue.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said body portion has a first transverse slot therein near the pocket for threading the strap therethrough to encircle said body portion.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein said body portion has a second transverse slot therein located between said first slot and; the end of the body portion engaging the free end of the strap.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein said securing means comprises a buckle and tongue secured to the other end of said body portion, said strap having holes therein for selectively engaging on said tongue.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein said wristband carries a flap for closing the pocket; and fastener means disengageably holding the flap in closing position on the pocket while the strap overlays the flap to cooperate with said fastener means in holding the pocket closed.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein said weight means comprises at least one lead weight.

8. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said wristband carries a flap for closing the pocket; and fastener means disengageably holding the flap in closing position on the pocket while the strap overlays the flap to cooperate with said fastener means in holding the pocket closed.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said body portion has a roughened suedelike inner side for frictionally engaging the golf player's wrist to prevent displacement of the wristband on the wrist. 

